The body of a woman was found today in a stairwell at San Francisco General Hospital and authorities are investigating whether it was that of a patient who was reported missing from her room more than two weeks ago.

San Francisco General Hospital spokeswoman Rachael Kagan told ABCNews.com the body was found by an employee in a rarely used stairwell and that it was unclear how long it had been there.

Kagan said it has not yet been determined if the body is that of Lynne Spalding, 57, who was last seen in her hospital room at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 21.

The San Francisco woman had been admitted two days before after suffering complications from an infection, and was being checked on every 15 minutes by hospital personnel, Spalding family spokesman David Perry told ABCNews.com last month.

Spalding was on medication that caused her to become disoriented, but Perry said it was strange that she could have disappeared when she was on a 15-minute watch.

"We find it disturbing that someone can go missing from the hospital," he said. "One would think there would be cameras or something."